During the manufacture of vehicles, it is common to mark a steering column to indicate the neutral position or center position of the steering column. Placement of such a mark on the steering column permits an associate to subsequently orient the steering wheel such that the steering wheel is positioned in a neutral rotary orientation (i.e., not turned left or right) when the vehicle is traveling straight ahead. Typically, such a steering column alignment mark is made on the steering column with the assistance of an automated machine that is moved into position on the steering column by the associate. A known automated machine includes a gearbox operably connected to an articulating arm that is moveable by the associate. The gearbox includes an attachment socket having a splined inner surface for mating with a splined portion of the steering column.
With the use of the splined socket, an exact alignment by the associate of the automated machine with the steering column is required. Further, it sometimes occurs that the automated machine used to mark the steering column is not operating correctly. In this situation, the mark is improperly positioned on the steering column, and this ultimately leads to a steering wheel that is misaligned relative to the steering column. A misaligned steering wheel will appear to be turned left or right when the steering column is neutral or centered.